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Penn State Hershey landscaping plan moves forward

July 2, 2013

Penn State Hershey landscaping plan moves forward

This summer, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State College of Medicine will embark on a multi-year landscaping master plan. The new plan will enhance the campus by updating and refreshing existing areas, while adding many new attractive and functional landscape features. When completed, the plan will provide for a more sustainable approach to landscape maintenance and improve the overall beauty of the campus grounds.

The first phase of the plan is to upgrade the grassy oval space in front of the Crescent side of the main hospital building across from the north and College of Medicine entrances, known to many as “the front lawn.” As part of the update, redesigned pathways leading to parking lots B, C, and D will be installed, along with additional seating areas. The removal of 18 diseased and over-matured trees will be followed by the planting of 52 new trees and more than 400 new shrubs. The original plantings and landscaping are past their prime, and the new plantings will refresh the Crescent area, enhancing the visibility of the building and giving it a more modern feel. The work in the oval space is planned to begin soon after the July 4th holiday.

Another proposed phase of the project will include the improvement of existing pedestrian and bicycle paths, and the creation of new paths. Additional connections will be added to provide more accessible paths. New seating and sun shades will also be installed along the paths.

Additional phases of the master plan include the creation and restructuring of water detention areas, and planting of vegetation buffers, additional trees and shrubs. Upon completion, more than 700 additional trees will be added to the campus landscape. This mix of self-sustaining vegetation that will be added will reduce the amount of turf mowing, further reducing the campus’s carbon footprint.